Irene thanks a young donor outside the Pharmasave just before Christmas
Below: Pablo mans the kettle beside Oak Bay's Centennial Clock.

Announcements:

Tom Lidkea reminded club members of the Scotch Tasting event on January 19th. Tickets are available from the following club members: Jack Petrie, Ron Cooley, Irene Davie, Tav MacPherson, Dave Maxwell and Don O’Coffey.	Jim Force indicated that he had some of the Interact t-shirts for sale after the meeting. All t-shirts were sold and a couple of donations were made. A total of $90 was collected.

Health of the Club:
Jack informed the Club that Mark Bedford is not doing well. However, Mark has appreciated
the cards and well wishes he has received from club members.

Paul Harris Society
Joan Firkins presented Paul Harris Society recognition to those who have contributed $1000 or more within the last year. Recipients included: Peter Lawrie, Tom Croft, Perry Bamji, Lynn Murray, Ted Chambers, and Joan Peggs. Congratulations to all.

	Sergeant-at-Arms Given that Brian had to leave early, few fines were levied: Everyone, who hadn’t written a letter to the editor praising Rotary as Giles did, was fined a dollar; two were fined for talking during Jack’s opening remarks and one for missing his duties as cashier. Next week those whose name starts with the letter “C” will be asked to levy fines or pay up.
	Birthdays/Anniversaries Joan Firkins’ and Lynn Murray’s birthdays were celebrated as was Barry and Deborah’s anniversary. Dallas Chapple, Joan Peggs, Ron Cooley, Lorna Curtis, Heather Aked, John Edgell and Mary Canty all had happy thoughts to share. Irene Davie won the 50/50 draw, but unfortunately drew a black ball.

Guest Speaker
Ted Chambers introduced our very own Perry Bamji as the guest speaker. Perry holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, has worked for Alcan and was both an administrator and faculty at Queens University Business School. He also holds a dozen patents.

Perry spoke to the topic of “What a Make Up can do.” He began by reminding us that we are expected to attend 60% of the Club's weekly meetings and that if we can't make them we need to do make ups at other clubs. Make Ups are more than simply having a meal with other Rotarians; they can be a valuable way to build interclub relationships that can result in joint projects. Perry related two such project that he and his wife, Annamaria, have been involved in as a result of doing make ups in Puerto Vallarta. The first project was with AGAPE House whose mandate is to take in, nurture and educate abandoned and abused girls. Perry and Annamaria hosted a wine and cheese auction at their home and raised $2,000. An additional $900 was received from other sources. In conjunction with each of their two Rotary clubs and the PV Centro Club they obtained a matching grant for over $20,000. The money was used to purchase an embroidery machine, which is used to train girls for jobs once they leave as well as raise money while they are in school. Cook and baking ovens as well as a computer workshop were included in the matching grant. All of this goes to helping the girls become employable once they turn 18. Finally, in one club meeting they raised over $1,100 for bikes and dolls for the girls. The second project involved Scholarships for students in another school in Vallarta. Enough money was raised to provide 150 students with scholarships. All of this resulted from Perry and Annamaria making the most of their make ups in Puerto Vallarta.

Dallas Chapple thanked Perry. While she indicated that she had hoped to get some tips on “make up,” she was, as she expected everyone was, sincerely impressed by the difference Perry and Annamaria have made in the lives of others as a result of connecting with Rotarians
in Puerto Vallarta. Their work is truly inspiring.

PROGRAMS FOR MEETINGS 2008

DUTY ROSTER January/February 2008

Click on Biz Card below to be directed to individual member's business sites
Contact Tricia to add your Biz Card (Ask David Sills re Rates).